This invention relates in general to a vehicle wheel end assembly and in particular to an improved structure for a wheel hub for use in such a vehicle wheel end assembly and method for producing such a composite vehicle wheel hub.
A typical vehicle wheel end assembly for a front wheel of a vehicle includes a wheel hub, a steering knuckle, and a bearing assembly. The wheel hub is supported by the bearing assembly and the bearing assembly is secured to a non-rotatable component of the vehicle, which in this case is the steering knuckle, so as to rotatably support the wheel hub relative thereto. In the case of a driven wheel application, the wheel hub can include an internal bore provided with internal splines for receiving mating external splines provided on an axle for rotatably connecting the wheel hub to the axle for rotation therewith. In the case of a non-driven wheel application, the wheel hub does not include the internal splines.
The wheel hub also includes a generally radially outwardly extending flange. The flange includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced stud receiving holes formed therein. The stud receiving holes are adapted to receive studs and nuts for securing a rotatable brake component, such as for example a brake rotor and a vehicle wheel to the wheel hub for rotation therewith.
To secure the bearing assembly and the wheel hub together for rotation with one another and also to preload the bearing assembly, a spanner nut is installed on a threaded inner end of the wheel hub and tightened to a predetermined torque in order to exert a predetermined clamp load on the bearing assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,673 to Wiacek et al. shows such a design in prior art FIGS. 1–3. Alternatively, a threaded retention nut or non-threaded retention ring can be installed on a respective threaded or non-threaded inner end of the wheel hub and the inner end of the wheel hub can be deformed outwardly to secure the bearing assembly and wheel hub together and to preload the bearing. U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,673 to Wiacek et al. shows such designs in FIGS. 4–7 and 9–12.